Did the Chester County Sheriff’s Office call you? It’s probably a scam.
At least one resident has lost $5,000.
Chester County residents, beware: Sophisticated scammers may be calling pretending to be the sheriff’s office.
The actual Chester County Sheriff’s Office warned of the scam Monday, noting in a statement that several residents had described the scheme as “very convincing.”
Some reported that the caller ID read “Chester County Sheriff’s Office,” a county spokesperson said, and the caller sometimes references the name of a county judge or current or former sheriff deputies.
Have you fallen victim to a scam? Encountered a higher-than-usual number of spam calls recently? Almost sent money to a potential scammer? I want to hear about your experiences. Email me at emccarthy@inquirer.com
The scammers tell residents they have missed jury duty, a court meeting, or conference, and now must send gift cards or transfer money to avoid arrest or other penalties, including loss of property, according to the county.
At least one resident has fallen victim to the scam. That person, whom the county did not identify, paid $5,000 out of fear that they’d be penalized for missing a bail conference.
The Chester County Sheriff’s Office said it would never call residents asking for gift cards or money transfers in exchange for missing jury duty or another court appointment. The office advises people who receive such calls to hang up.
Anyone unsure about a potential scam can call their local police department, the county said, or contact the Chester County Sheriff’s Office at 610-344-6850.
- A sudden, unexpected, and urgent call or email
- The caller or emailer threatening to penalize you if you don’t take a certain action in a specific, usually short, time period
- A request for money or personal information
- A request for gift cards that they say will go toward repayment of debt or payment of bills
- The caller or emailer saying you won a sweepstakes that you did not enter
- Something that sounds too good to be true
Source: Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office
